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~になる

to become

N5 Pattern

~になる expresses a change of state: something turns into the noun or な-adjective before it. It is made with the particle plus the verb なる (“to become”).

It maps to English “to become” or “to turn into”. Note that になる is only for nouns and な-adjectives; い-adjectives use ~くなる instead (寒い → 寒くなる, “to get cold”).

1. Noun + になる

Use it when a person or thing becomes the noun: a new job, a new season, a new state.

兄は医者になった。

“My brother became a doctor.”

  • (あに)= older brother
  • = topic marker
  • 医者(いしゃ)= doctor
  • = result-of-change marker
  • なった = became

2. Na-adjective + になる

With a な-adjective, drop the な and attach になる directly.

この町は静かになりました。

“This town has become quiet.”

  • この = this
  • (まち)= town
  • = topic marker
  • 静か(しずか)= quiet
  • になりました = has become

How to form it

Noun / な-adjective + になる

  • 医者(いしゃ)= doctor → 医者になる(いしゃになる)= to become a doctor
  • 静か(しずか)= quiet → 静かになる(しずかになる)= to become quiet
  • (はる)= spring → 春になる(はるになる)= spring comes

Key idea

points at the result, and なる says the change happened on its own. The subject ends up in a new state without anyone being mentioned as the cause.

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